'Many more arrests' to follow Rangers crowd trouble

Police Scotland has said "many more arrests will follow" what it described as "disgraceful" scenes as Rangers fans celebrated in Glasgow city centre.

Five police officers were injured and 28 people arrested as crowds were dispersed due to "rising disorder".

Thousands of fans had taken to the streets after Rangers' first Scottish Premiership title win in a decade.

They marched from Ibrox Stadium to George Square on Saturday where flares were set off and missiles thrown.

Police broke up the crowds after about five hours due to "rising disorder", with one officer suffering a serious facial injury.

Police Scotland Deputy Chief Constable Will Kerr said investigations were continuing and further arrests would be made in the coming weeks.

Glasgow remains in level three of Covid lockdown restrictions, with large gatherings outdoors not permitted.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: "To say I'm utterly disgusted by the Rangers fans who rampaged through the city would be an understatement."

There had been a high, visible police presence throughout the day as huge crowds gathered outside Ibrox before the final game of the season against Aberdeen.

Police Scotland said it had declined a request to facilitate the march to George Square and urged the crowd to go home.

After supporters celebrated in George Square for about five hours, officers said some fans became unruly.

Property was damaged, several people assaulted and missiles and flares were thrown at officers.

Officers formed a line and cleared the group from the area just after 21:00, with Police Scotland describing the fans' behaviour as "disgraceful".

"Our officers became the focus of the crowd's attention with missiles and flares being thrown at them," Ch Supt Mark Sutherland, Police Scotland's Divisional Commander for Greater Glasgow, said in a statement.

"Our policing response has been proportionate. We have responded appropriately and consistently to the behaviour of those gathered.

"This disgraceful behaviour which clearly endangered public and officer safety could not be tolerated and officers dressed in full public order equipment after appropriate warnings were given, moved in to disperse those present.

"Although most of those present dispersed, a number remained and confronted officers with violence and aggression. Missiles were thrown and officers came under direct attack as George Square and the surrounding area was cleared."

Nicola Sturgeon said she was "angry on behalf of every law-abiding citizen".

The first minister added: "In normal times, the violence and vandalism and the vile anti-Catholic prejudice that was on display would have been utterly unacceptable. But mid-pandemic, in a city with cases on the rise, it was also selfish beyond belief."

Ms Sturgeon said she hoped Rangers would "reflect on what more must be done to tackle this behaviour by fans, albeit a minority".

She added: "However, ultimate responsibility lies with those who behaved in such a thuggish, sectarian and selfish manner. And that's why we must let the police do their job."

Scotland's national clinical director, Prof Jason Leitch, said Glasgow was in a "fragile" place and it was "disappointing to see people break the rules, in whatever setting and for whatever reason".

He told BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show: "This virus has not gone away - we're not joking, we're not pretending - it's absolutely real.

"And the risk, particularly now in Glasgow, is quite high and Glasgow is fragile.

"You've seen us make an enormously difficult decision this week on our advice that has kept a bit of Glasgow in the same level.

"It feels like a tough day to watch that yesterday if you are a business owner or a family waiting for lunch or dinner."

Scottish Police Federation chairman David Hamilton said the people in George Square had shown a "blatant disregard for the safety of the public and police officers".

He told The Sunday Show: "To see that number of people blatantly ignoring all the health advice, the government advice, the police advice - even the club advice to disperse - is just absolutely appalling.

"Policing in this country is, of course, done by consent. The whole strategy throughout the coronavirus pandemic has been about making sure people take personal responsibility and they have not done so.

"These people should not have been there in the first place and when they were asked to move, they should have gone."

Fans had been warned against gathering to celebrate due to rising Covid-19 cases in Glasgow.

The Union Bears fan group had earlier announced plans to walk from the stadium to George Square.

On Friday night, scores of Rangers fans lit red flares simultaneously along the River Clyde in the city as they marked the end of the season.

In an earlier statement on Saturday, Ch Supt Sutherland said: "We understand the importance of football in Glasgow, how it connects our communities and, is for many, a culture and a way of life.

"We are, however, still in the midst of a pandemic and under coronavirus restrictions people should not be gathering for any reason."

He said a request for a fan procession to the city centre had been declined, but police later decided to escort large groups of supporters as they made their way to George Square in order to minimise disruption.

Some arrests were made in the afternoon for anti-social behaviour.

But Ch Supt Sutherland said due to the largely peaceful nature of the crowd at that time "it would not be proportionate for our resources to use a high level of force through public order policing to disperse those gathering".